Baba Ganoush

Baba ganoush is a Lebanese dip made from smoky roasted eggplant and tahini blended together to make a smooth and creamy dip. Consider it to be the first cousin of hummus but swapping out chickpeas for eggplant!

Let's start with the eggplant. We're going to slice the eggplant into ¾ inch slices, sprinkle them with salt to help draw out some of the excess moisture and bitterness, and let them sit for about a half hour before preparing them for the oven. I like to slice the eggplant into thick medallions before roasting it for a couple of reasons. One, it roasts faster because the pieces are smaller. And two, you get more surface area that has the opportunity to brown in the oven, and that golden color equals yummy flavor.

After the eggplant has had some time to sit, we'll pat off the water that's extracted from the eggplant, then give them a spritz of olive oil and line them up on a baking sheet. While the eggplant is baking, we're also going to do a quick roast on some garlic cloves. So, we'll leave them right in their skins, spritz them with oil, and let them roast at the same time as the eggplant.

Once the eggplant and garlic are finished roasting, we'll let them cool for a little bit. Then, we'll remove both the eggplant and garlic flesh from their respective skins, and we'll pop both into a food processor to wait for a couple extra special ingredients.

To the eggplant and garlic, we're going to add some creamy tahini, some fresh lemon juice, and some smoky spices like cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. From there, we blend it all together until it's smooth and creamy, then let the dip cool down a little bit before it's time to dig in.

When it's time to serve, we'll add some garnishes to make this brown dip look extra beautiful. So, we'll spread the dip out into a bowl; give it a drizzle of olive; then finish the look with some fresh minced parsley for brightness, aleppo pepper for extra smokiness, and toasted sesame seeds to accentuate those sesame flavors that are already in the dip.

The best way to describe the flavor of this dip is to call it slightly smoky vegetable hummus. The texture and flavors are very similar to hummus. But the roasted eggplant, the dash of cumin, and the pinch of cayenne really help to take this dip to the next level.

I like to serve this dip with toasted pita or naan bread. But, you can also serve it alongside crackers or veggies or even as a spread for a wrap or a sandwich. There are so many possibilities here.

This super flavorful dip is an absolute must on your next appetizer spread, so I can't wait to hear what you think.

Enjoy, and let's eat!